Avery's footsteps slowed as she approached the building. The black door stood at the end of a narrow alley, flanked by cold brick walls scarred by time. A flickering streetlamp cast long shadows, making the place look more like a fortress than a home.
She pulled her jacket tighter around her, her fingers brushing the crumpled letter in her pocket—the only clue she had to the man behind the name: Dante Harlan.
The entrance wasn't like any ordinary door. Heavy iron bars guarded a small, reinforced window beside it. A security keypad blinked silently near the handle. The faint buzz of a hidden camera somewhere above sent a shiver down her spine.
Avery's heart hammered in her chest, but she forced herself to breathe slowly. This wasn't just a house. It was a barrier—between her and the truth she'd chased for so long.
She glanced down the empty street. No one watching. No one to stop her.
With trembling hands, she pressed the small button beside the keypad—the only way to announce her presence.
A mechanical voice buzzed through a speaker, cold and unfamiliar: "State your business."
Swallowing her fear, Avery spoke clearly, "I'm here to see Dante Harlan. It's important."
A tense pause. Then, a soft click.
The heavy door creaked open just enough to reveal a pair of sharp eyes, measuring and cautious.
The stranger's face came into view — his expression unreadable.
And in that moment, Avery knew there was no turning back.
Then the door cracked open, just enough to reveal a tall man. His expression were sharp, calculating — cold enough to freeze blood — and they swept over her in a single glance before he stepped back wordlessly.
The narrow space grew colder as the door swung wider, he sat on the sofa cross-legged his back figure broad and firm
The door closed behind Avery with a slow, final thud that swallowed the outside world.
Dante didn't move for a long moment, his back turned as he reached for a slender, ornate box on the desk. His fingers, long and deliberate, lifted a single black candle and a match.
The faint scratch of the match breaking pierced the silence.
A flicker of flame came to life, casting long shadows that danced across the walls. The soft glow revealed the hard lines of Dante's face, still unreadable, his eyes reflecting the firelight like twin coals.
Without looking at her, he poured dark liquid into a glass, the thick pour echoing in the quiet room.
He took a slow sip, then set the glass down with precise care.
Finally, turning to her, his gaze bore into Avery's with an intensity that seemed to strip away everything she tried to hide.
"Why are you here?" His voice was low, rough—almost a growl, each word weighed and measured.
Avery met his eyes, steady and unblinking.
Avery shivers at the sight of this man his aura was intimidating something she could barely hold
"I want something only you can give." She spoke with little confidence her voice low and desperate "Power. Influence. A way to change what's been done."
Dante's lips curled in something close to a smile — cruel and knowing.
"Power is never free. And it demands more than most are willing to pay."
Her jaw tightened. "I'm ready to pay."
He took a slow step forward, the air between them chilling.
"Words are wind," he said. "Show me you're worth the price."
A silence fell, thick and heavy as the night.
Then, with deliberate coldness, Dante gestured toward a worn leather chair beside a low table.
"Sit. Tell me everything."
Dante watched her settle into the chair, eyes narrowing with measured suspicion. He didn't soften; if anything, his gaze drilled deeper, searching for cracks.
"You say you're ready to pay," he said slowly, voice like ice sliding over stone. "But you don't even know the cost."
Avery's hands clenched in her lap, but her voice didn't waver.
"Then tell me."
He leaned forward, the room seeming to shrink between them.
"The price is your soul."
She met the challenge without flinching.
"Then I offer it willingly."
Dante's lips twitched—almost amused, almost contemptuous.
"Bold. Foolish. Dangerous. All at once."
He straightened abruptly, stepping back into the shadows.
"This is no game. Hell's Bargain isn't for the faint of heart."
Avery's eyes burned with resolve.
"I'm not afraid."
For a moment, Dante simply regarded her like a puzzle no one had solved before.
"Very well," he said, voice low and final. "Prove it."
Avery's voice was steady but edged with steel.
"What do you want from me?"
Dante's gaze sharpened, dark and unreadable. He stepped forward, the faintest trace of a smirk touching his lips.
"I don't want your words. I don't want your past or your promises." His voice dropped to a low, dangerous whisper.
"I want you. All of you. Every choice, every secret, every breath."
Avery swallowed hard but held his gaze.
"And if I agree?"
A low, mirthless chuckle escaped him, cold as shattered glass.
"You misunderstand." He folded his arms, voice dripping with disdain.
"I'm not ready to do business with a kitten."
He took a step back, his eyes never leaving hers.
"This was only a tease. A test. You have no idea what you're asking for."
The room chilled with the weight of his words.
"Come back when you've grown into what this bargain demands. Until then... stay out of my sight."
With that, Dante turned, disappearing into the shadows, leaving Avery alone with the echo of his words and the cold silence pressing in.